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Pilot-testing of Customs Facilitation Arrangements Planned at Three Border Crossings (November 2001)

The GMS Ministers endorsed a plan to implement single-stop customs inspection arrangements at selected border crossings, on a pilot basis, during the 10th Ministerial Conference held in Yangon on 29 November 2001. The plan, which was recommended by the GMS Trade Facilitation Working Group during its second meeting in Phnom Penh held in June 2001, calls for pilot testing of single-stop customs inspection at the Mukdahan/ Savannakhet and Dene Savanh/ Lao Bao border crossings along the East-West Economic Corridor. The GMS Ministers agreed during the 10th Conference to include the Aranyapathet/Poipet border crossing between Thailand and Cambodia in the list of pilot sites.

Single-stop inspection means joint control by adjacent countries' customs authorities through shared facilities. Officials of the countries with common border assist one another in the performance of their duties. These authorities carry out inspection jointly and simultaneously. Where local configuration does not allow the installation of physically adjacent, back-to-back frontier control posts, the control officers from one country shall be allowed to perform their duties in the territory of the other country, or the concerned countries may delegate their inspection and control competence to each other's officials. Single-stop inspection ultimately contributes to reducing transaction costs in the movement of goods, raising economic efficiency among cooperating countries.

As requested by the GMS countries, ADB will provide technical assistance to assist in drawing up systems and procedures for single-stop customs inspection in the pilot sites identified.

For the entire proceedings, email: gms@adb.org

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Single Stop Customs Inspection at Selected GMS Border Crossings (May 2001)

Customs inspection at border crossings in the GMS will be more efficient when the GMS countries start implementing single stop customs inspection at selected checkpoints in the near future. This means that customs authorities in adjacent borders will carry out inspection jointly and simultaneously through shared facilities. The agreement to implement single-stop inspection in selected sites on a pilot basis was reached at the Second Meeting of the Trade Facilitation Working Group (TFGW-2) held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 28-29 June 2001. Bilateral agreements were reached between Lao PDR and Thailand to implement single-stop customs inspection in Mukdahan-Savannakhet, and between Lao PDR and Viet Nam to implement the same in Denh Savanh and Lao Bao. The operating details of the scheme are now being discussed by the concerned countries with the assistance of ADB.

Customs facilitation is a top priority in the trade facilitation agenda of the GMS. As transport infrastructure improves at the border areas and trade volume expands, the GMS countries are recognizing the need to further accelerate trade and customs facilitation measures. At the Workshop on Customs Facilitation held in Hat Yai, Thailand on 23-24 May 2001, several cooperation modalities on customs cooperation was discussed including single-stop inspection, single-window inspection, common hours of operation, improvement of transparency in customs practices, and adherence to the Kyoto Convention. At the Hat Yai Workshop, the GMS countries agreed to give priority to single-stop customs inspection at selected border crossings.

In addition to customs cooperation, the GMS countries at the TFWG-2 also agreed to exchange, on a regular basis, data and information on cross-border trade. It is envisioned that a unique data set on GMS cross-border trade could be generated from the exercise, which could be used eventually for identifying further areas of cooperation among the GMS countries. Apart from ADB, ESCAP is also assisting the GMS countries in the alignment of trade documents, institutionalization and strengthening of national trade facilitation bodies; and training on trade facilitation.

For the entire proceedings, email: gms@adb.org

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